There is this big debate nowadays on whether or not women should be allowed to join the army and serve in combat roles. This is a very controversial topic; however, I feel there is another big topic that needs to be discussed surrounding the appropriate age of eligibility for being drafted into the army. Currently the minimum age for the draft is eighteen since that is when citizens are considered to be an adult. I say that this age is too young, considering all the hazards they will have to deal with and the lack of experience they have obtained through their limited number of years. The appropriate age should be around the mid-thirties since these men and women will have more experience than the younger demographic and will be more mature to handle the difficult, and possibly life-threatening, tasks ahead.

One major reason the drafting age should be higher is because of the mental state of being the young men and women are in. By that, I mean they’re either just finishing high school or prepping to tackle college. These individuals may have just turned fifteen and still have much of their life to live, many open avenues to explore and have yet to find their place in the world.   The possible draft age limits range from fifteen to eighteen depending on where someone is stationed. In Bangladesh, the minimum age is fifteen and sixteen in North Korea for military service. This means a person who can now just obtain their driver license can go to North Korea for the military. “18 is presumed to be the legal minimum age for compulsory military service; 16-17 is the presumed legal minimum age for voluntary service”  (https://www.cia.gov)  These young adolescents, who are in the tenth grade, can provide military service to the one of the most dangerous countries in the entire world. The very idea that a person cannot vote at the age of sixteen, but they can help serve the military in North Korea, seems morally wrong and even idiotic.

Another major reason to increase the draft age is because the brain is not yet fully developed as a teenager. The brain is typically developed around the mid-20 to early 30’s. An article states, “Someone who is 18 may make riskier decisions than someone in their mid-20s in part due to lack of experience, but primarily due to an underdeveloped brain.     These rash decisions could cause unnecessary casualties and, knowing this generation, there would be more insubordination as well. The impulses that these young men and women have can cause much risk as well. “Struggling with impulsivity is often related to deficits in the prefrontal cortex. The ability to maintain self-discipline and avoid impulsive behaviors hasn’t reached its peak until the 20s.”   These irrational tendencies that the youth have could jeopardize missions and ruin operations throughout the globe.

The last major reason the age should be higher is the amount of potential health problems that are acquired after serving time in the army. These effects have ranged from physical trauma to mental trauma, if the soldiers are used for war. “Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide are three of the biggest mental health concerns.” These young men and women are already stressed due to school, work, family, friends, and even social media. They do not need even more problems to worry about on top of that.  “The rate of suicide in the Army (128 deaths, or about 20 deaths per 100,000 soldiers) surpassed the rate among the civilian population.”  These individuals are not even allowed to drink and it is almost guaranteed that if they can drink to wash down the pain they are going to be enduring.

Now I understand that the main argument for this topic is the question of volunteering. The fact is that I am not arguing about volunteering. The individuals who volunteer are selected for their education and are put through training and boot camp to test if they are prepared for the military or not. The topic I am arguing is when the country needs soldiers to defend the country no matter what. That means a young eighteen year can be forced to go fight in the war with little or no experience at all. I do understand that they will evaluate the candidate, and they will be sent home if they cannot meet the qualifications which would be a waste of time for them. The overall point here is that if someone wants to volunteer that is fine considering the benefits the military provide for these recruits, but when times get rough and they need more hands on deck, the age group should be higher due to lack of experience, the underdeveloped brains, and the many years that the combatants have that could very well be wasted, so let us work together to protect our future from the effects of war and prevent needless harm to this generation.

M.L.A Citations
Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2016.
"At What Age Is The Brain Fully Developed?" At What Age Is The Brain Fully     Developed? N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2016.
Kelty, Ryan, Meredith Kleykamp, and David R. Segal. "The Future of Children."  - The Future of Children -. The Trustees of Princeton University, 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 01 May 2016.